


Truths in dreams

by AliaMael



Category: Hades (Video Game 2018)
Genre: Character Study, Gen, Other characters are mentionned but Hypnos stays the real focus, Pre-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-17
Updated: 2021-02-17
Packaged: 2021-03-13 03:55:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,223
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29520489
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AliaMael/pseuds/AliaMael
Summary: Hypnos is used to being underestimated.
Comments: 12
Kudos: 70





	Truths in dreams

Hypnos is used to being underestimated.

It begins when he’s so young that even “We Shall Be Proper” Nyx is still alright with him calling her “mom”, even in public. Him and his twin, they’re Primordial Gods, they don’t exactly do the whole… birth and growth the same way mortals do (the way other deities will do in the future), but they’re still _young_ and it does take a while to get used to, well, existing. Nyx knows that. She contained their powers for a while, giving them time to become individuals in truth. (Even if Than was still prompt to teleporting around. Even if Hypnos was already more than able to put someone to sleep if he wanted to.)

But at some point, Nyx decides they are ready, and that’s when it begins, that underestimating business. Because Thanatos starts going to the surface and bringing souls back, and despite all his efforts he’s obviously shaken by his first contacts with what Death means to mortals, and Nyx fusses, worried… and meanwhile Hypnos doesn’t _do_ anything, right?

Too busy focusing on Than, everyone conveniently forgets that everything mortals do, think, want, feel, fear… _everything_ appears in their dreams (or nightmares). (Everyone also conveniently forgets that even Gods dream, whenever they choose to sleep.)

And so by the time Nyx remembers she has another son just discovering the full scope of his attribute, Hypnos, young and sweet and absent-minded Hypnos… doesn’t feel young nor sweet nor absent-minded _at all_ , for he knows more about humanity (and Gods) than he would have thought existed only a few months back. He felt, deep into his heart, love and loss and pain and joy and terror and lust and–

Everything.

Maybe he’s still too young in some specific way, or maybe that’s just who he is, but as soon as he sees his mom’s eyes turned on him, he decides that he can’t worry her _too_. She already has too much on her plate with Than, and Than _does_ need and deserve that attention, while Hypnos…

Well. He’ll manage.

Yes, he feels a bit overwhelmed, but… somehow, he gets as many answers as he gets questions, as many joys as he gets pains, and so it balances out. More or less. (He _is_ exhausted by the intensity of trying to create some order out of this mess.)

And so, Hypnos sleeps, and learns.

When Hades comes to the underworld, Hypnos has known for a while to keep out of the dreams of the people surrounding him. Of course, if he feels nightmares, he’ll give a gentle nudge to soothe it toward dreamless sleep, but peeking into the dreams of someone he has to live with? Nah, not a good idea. (Not that he can _always_ avoid it, alas. Some nightmares are way too intense to avoid.) (He didn’t need to know how _terrifying_ the Titans had been, but well, here he is. If he one day meets the God of Knowledge, he’ll make sure the dude has the best drugs poppies can produce.)

Anyway, when Hades towers over him and orders him to deal with the procession of souls waiting for an audience, Hypnos knows three things. One: he shouldn’t be the one doing this job, as he’s already borderline overworked looking over the mortals’ sleep. Two: Hades is… not _afraid_ , per se, but uneasy with his new domain, and is trying to assert his dominance. Hypnos has seen it in mortals before, that need to have people obey so that everyone settle into their role in the new hierarchy. Three: if mom understood what Hypnos is doing daily, she would have convinced Hades to find someone else, but she doesn’t, didn’t, and she stands with him, looking down at Hypnos with a tiny hint of disapproval in her eyes.

So Hypnos doesn’t protest, doesn’t try to explain himself, and gets to his new job.

(He wonders if maybe he should have been clearer with mom one or two eternities ago, but it feels like it’s too late now.)

Persephone is good for Hades, but when she’s pregnant Hypnos’ sleep gets filled with fear. Too many nightmares, too much _terror_ about what could (should?) go wrong, and thus when everything takes a dive to the worse, and Persephone flees, and the rare smiles of Lord Hades disappear with her… Hypnos is not surprised. At all.

Baby Zagreus is a surprise, though, and not only because everyone thought it impossible for him to survive. It’s weird to see mom being, well, _motherly_ to such a small creature. Weird to be a big brother. Weird to discover that the mortals are right and babies have a way to make everyone love them without doing anything.

(Well, Hades doesn’t _show_ any love, but Hypnos is not fooled. Maybe he did need to cheat a bit and take a quick look at his dreams to be sure, but Hades does love his son, somewhere underneath his deep, deep heartbreak.)

Than is lowkey afraid of the baby, which is funny in an adorable way. Once Hypnos shows him how to hold Zagreus without risking hurting him, Than spends his rare free hours with the baby. Mom somehow remembers that Hypnos is God of Sleep and is glad to ask for his help to make sure the growing child does nap. Hypnos doesn’t mind. At least he’s not expected to do paperwork while he’s snuggling with Zagreus, which allows him to focus on his _real_ job. (Also, he’s utterly fond of the kid.)

Achilles is a lot to take in. His nightmares are intense and haunt his every night. It takes Hypnos way too long to realize that he didn’t _literally_ kill his lover, with how intertwined the memories and the despair are. Hypnos does his best to soothe his nights, though, and even if it’s not enough it allows him to be somewhat functional, which in turn leads to him mentoring Zagreus and… well, Zagreus is good for him. 

(Zagreus is good for most people in the House, to be honest.)

Orpheus’ nightmares are more memories, and they never dim.

Then Zagreus is an adult clashing with his father, and the whole House instinctively hold its breath. There’s something brewing, Fates at work, and most people can at least feel that the former balance is no more.

Hypnos thinks he knows what will happen, sooner or later. After all, Zagreus can tell that his father is hiding things from him. (After all, Hades still misses Persephone so intensely that _Hypnos_ sometimes wakes up with tears in his eyes.) (After all, somewhere on the surface, Persephone still dreams of the Underworld, and only Zagreus’ birth is a nightmare.)

Members of the House would never come to Hypnos for advice, not with his deliberate act of funny blunderer, but he knows from eternities observing the mortals’ dreams that these kinds of problems cannot be solved without the truth getting out. Without communication.

(He’s painfully aware of his own hypocrisy, given that he can’t bring himself to _talk_ to his mom or his twin. But if he can spare Zagreus from making the same mistake… well, he _is_ his older brother, after all.)

So when Zagreus comes to him, asking for his help… Hypnos knows already that everything is going to change.

He welcomes it.


End file.
